Friday, June 6, 2008

The next chapter

I seem to have gotten a bit too proverbially "long winded" for the About Me section of the blog. I posted a bit of what I wrote, but decided to use the rest of it as my first post here so you can understand why I have created this.Here goes:I am a Tennessean by birth but I grew up in Northeast Mississippi. Educated by the Corinth School District, Northeast Mississippi Junior College (now NEMCC), and Mississippi University for Women, I spent almost 22 years in the newspaper business. Last November, because of budget cuts, my job of 19 years was eliminated and my employment was terminated. For two months I did a lot of literal soul-searching, trying to determine exactly what path God wanted me to take next.Feeling a real need to get out of the newspaper business, I found myself entering the world of education (an obvious path for someone whose father was a career educator). Since January, I have been working as Project Director for the Corinth School District. I oversee a Teaching American History Grant and do special projects for the District. So far I've written and designed a tabloid and helped get our recent $12.8 million bond issue passed. I love my new job and the folks I work with very much! When not at work, I enjoy photography.Since I recently acquired a Canon Rebel XTI, you will be seeing some of my work here, I'm certain. As for other hobbies, I also enjoy movies, TV and basically life itself. I love, love, love to travel and will do more as I can afford it. Although I've enjoyed my various trips to DC and NYC, I have to say the trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina that Mandi and I took several years ago ranks at the very top of the best place visited list! I wanna go back sometime, take a box of books and just sit on Ocracoke and surrounding beaches and read (and pick up seashells, too. I had to pay American Airlines an additional $25 to get home since my suitcases were filled with shells! The Outer Banks has some of the most beautiful shell beds in the U.S., I believe!!)The most important aspect of my life, though, is my relationship with God. Lately I have wanted to know more and more about Him and draw closer and closer to Him. I honestly believe He still has things for me to accomplish for His kingdom and I am diligently seeking His will for my life. And looking forward to accomplishing those things He has planned and purposed for me!As an editor at two newspapers in North Mississippi, I had a personal column called the "Impatience of Jobe." I not only shared my thoughts with the newspaper readers, but for the past few years I've also shared my columns with my friends. Since losing my job in November, I haven't written a column. Many of my friends have encouraged me to write them again. To be honest, I've missed that therapy of sorts. Although this blog won't be exactly like the Friday columns, I hope it will fill the void folks seem to have been missing. I truly believe it will fill that writing void I have felt lately!